The Sun's Camellia
by CherryBlossomGirl247
Summary: "Tsubaki—Waiting, Longing, In Love, Perishing with Grace. That is the meaning of my name and my destiny." Tsubaki Koizumi never thought that she would be forced to save the future of Humanity along with two other people. But when a certain white haired Lancer appears before her, Tsubaki must balance her duties as a Master while trying to discover the reason to his appearance.
1. The Third Master

**Hello! This is my first story I've written for Fates. I have other stories from different fandoms but I wanted to try my hands on writing a Fates one. This is essentially FGO storyline with some major changes. Both the male and female protagonists of the game will appear as well as my OC character Tsubaki Koizumi. Please note that I'm no expert of the Nasuverse and I will be changing details to better fit the story. I will be explaining what the changed details are at the author's note at the end of the story. However, I do want to point out that, while not shown in the first chapter, that I will be using certain details from GhostXavier's Fragments of Chaldea series. I have already asked for his permission to do so. Please see the bottom author's note for more information.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own FGO or any of their servants. I also do not own any details/events that have occurred in GhostXavier's series. Just my OCs.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _"Sleep. Sleep my little flower..."_**

 ** _"Bathe in the soft light of our precious Sun..."_**

 ** _"Do not be sad when the clouds block the Sun-the giant star is still shining down upon you."_**

 ** _"Even when the Sun grows angry and begins to burn you-stand tall and show that you are still there for it."_**

 ** _"My little flower, born from tears of the Moon, won't you watch over the Sun's child?"_**

 ** _"And prevent the end of all that we know and love..."_**

* * *

 _Holy Grail Wars...Seven Masters and Seven Servants..._

 _All to obtain the coveted Holy Grail and have their wishes granted._

 _Rules and regulations have been set to ensure that all have a chance for such power._

 _And yet...that all shall fall when the end of mankind has come._

 _However, three Masters shall emerge, taking control of all the Servants that they summon to fight against the impossible._

 _The time is now, little flower. Open your petals and stand against the cruel reality that is to become mankind's fate._

 _And perhaps you shall see your beloved again..._

* * *

Deep in the snow covered mountains, secluded from society and bombarded by the elements, was a facility. This was Chaldea, the Security Organization for the Preservation of Humanity. Those that come are candidates capable of Spiritron Dives, a unique ability only a several few possess. And within the facility lies forty eight candidates—thirty-eight elite mages and ten talented public applicants. There lie the unaware heroes that shall rise to the challenge...

 _The sun that sat above the clouds bathed her in its gentle rays, filling up her body with warmth. The scent of flowers permeated the crisp air as she breathed, and then she heard a soft lullaby. She tried to open her eyes to see, yet they refused to open. Suddenly, something soft began to caress her cheek which she assumed was a hand._

 _"Though the sun's light feels soothing, you mustn't stay out in its rays that long." A calm voice chided her, making her heart flutter with longing and joy. With every ounce of her strength, she slowly forced opened her eyes and saw eyes the color of a clear sky._

 ** _"Wake up little flower."_**

With a gasp, Tsubaki snapped open her eyes and sat straight up, her amethyst colored eyes scanning her room. Tsubaki sighed as she ran her hand through her long red hair, the ends tinged with white.

"Another dream?" She whispered to herself. Tsubaki could still vividly recall the lovely voice and their blue eyes, her heart still aching to see more of that mysterious glimpse of that person. The woman suppose she should be glad—compared to her previous dreams, this time Tsubaki had seen more of that person. However, now was not the time to think about it. With a grimace, Tsubaki got out of her bed and proceeded to dress in her Chaldean uniform which consisted of a white top and a black skirt. Today was the today when the director of Chaldea, Olga Marie Animusphere, would be addressing the fourty-eight applicants that were admitted. Tsubaki knew better than to be late—after all she was one of the public applicants that joined. After tying her hair into a neat ponytail and touching up a bit, Tsubaki looked momentarily at the wooden frame on a desk by her bed. In the picture was a young woman holding a baby girl in her arms. A bracelet laid beside the frame-its gemstone glittering in the darkened room.

"...Mother." Tsubaki murmured as she went over to the desk. Tsubaki's lips quivered slightly as she gently picked the frame up. She gave the picture a small kiss and replaced it back on the desk. Before she turned to the door and left her room, Tsubaki grabbed the bracelet and placed it on her wrist. With that the woman left the room, heading towards the briefing. The red headed woman walked silently down the hall to her destination, only giving polite smiles to anyone that she met. When she neared the simulation room, Tsubaki paused at the door. She recalled her first time in this room, learning how to command virtual servants and best use their abilities. Shaking her head from her thoughts, Tsubaki began walking again when the simulation door suddenly opened. From the room emerged two people—a male and a female. The male teen had dark black hair and aqua blue eyes while the female teen had auburn colored hair and amber eyes. The two wobbled a couple steps forward before they ultimately fell unconscious onto the floor. Tsubaki immediately panicked.

"Woah! Are you two alright?" She exclaimed, quickly leaning them against the wall and checking for any bruises or injuries. Thankfully, it seemed that both people were fine, just sleeping blissfully. Tsubaki pursed her lips as she examined the two.

"Hm...Exhaustion from the simulation? Yet, why were both of them in there together?" She murmured. Suddenly, a ball of white fluff entered her vision. Tsubaki yelped in surprised as the ball of fluff began walking on the two unconscious people's faces.

"Kyu!" It said as the creature continued to walk. Tsubaki was so stunned, she did not notice when a someone approached them.

"Fou! What are you-?" A young teen began to say before she stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did Fou bother you Senpai?" Tsubaki turned and faced a female with short lavender colored hair and amethyst colored eyes, not unlike Tsubaki's, which sat behind a pair of black glasses. The girl seemed familiar to Tsubaki. Where had she...? Suddenly, the red head had an epiphany.

"Oh, right! Your name is Mashu Kyrielight." Tsubaki said with a smile recalling when she had first seen her. If the teen was correct, Mashu had been with another man whose name temporarily evaded Tsubaki's mind. Mashu seemed pleasantly surprised.

"You know my name." She said. "Though I don't think I ever introduced myself to you Senpai."

"True, but I remember when that man introduced you to the workers here." Tsubaki explained. "I believe it was Dr.-?"

"Dr. Romani Archaman." Mashu finished. "But most people seem to call him Dr. Roman." Tsubaki nodded.

"That's right. Thank you for reminding me, Mashu." She said with a smile. However, Tsubaki frowned when she returned her attention to the two unconscious people. Though she was eager to get to the briefing on time, Tsubaki couldn't burden Mashu with the entire responsibility of the two. Mashu seemed to have sensed her dilemma.

"It will be fine, Senpai." Mashu said with a small smile. "I can watch over them while they rest. You should get going—the orientation will be starting soon." Tsusbaki bit her lower lip, still conflicted. After some time, she nodded.

"Thank you, Mashu. I owe you one." She thanked before turning to leave. Now running, Tsubaki took the time to look back at Mashu. It seemed that she was scolding the white furred creature. Facing back towards the front, Tsubaki kept running until she neared the room were the briefing would take place. However, as she slowed to a walk, Tsubaki suddenly felt a sharp pain strike through her head. Gripping her now aching head, the red head attempted to walk further but soon found the floor beginning to spin beneath her. Tsubaki felt as though her bracelet began to grow warm before turning hot.

 ** _"Remember. Remember Tsubaki."_**

"R-Remember...?" Tsubaki whispered back as she leaned against the wall for support. So absorbed in the strange pain and dizziness that struck her, Tsubaki didn't realize that a man had approached her.

"A-Are you alright?" He asked hesitantly. Tsubaki looked up and squinted her eyes towards the man, attempting to get a better look at him through her spinning vision. However, all she could make out was his orange colored hair.

"He-Help me..." She begged weakly. Then the darkness overtook Tsubaki's vision and she said nothing more.

* * *

 _Who are you?" a voice asked. A young boy with blue eyes and a young girl with amber eyes turned and saw another child behind them. Her amethyst colored eyes stared at them inquisitively as she waited for their answers. The boy and the girl looked at each other before answering._

 _"Gudao Fujimaru." The boy answered quietly. The girl beside him gave a wide smile._

 _"Ritsuka Fujiamaru!" The child proudly replied. The mysterious child gave a small smile as she pulled back her crimson hair tinged white at the ends._

 _"My name is Tsubaki Koizumi." She introduced herself. "If it's alright, could we be friends?" Suddenly, something strange happened. Gudao and Ritsuka watched as someone appeared behind the girl, flickering in and out of existence. His transparent arms wrapped around the girl protectively, the latter unaware of the man's existence. The man regarded them with careful blue eyes._

 ** _"Will you become the ones to support my beloved flower?"_**

Tsubaki snapped her eyes wide open and sat up straight. Immediately another wave of dizziness hit her.

"Don't sit up so suddenly!" A voice chastised Tsubaki as she covered one of her eyes. The red head groaned as she was laid back onto the bed she was sleeping in. Through her hazy vision Tsubaki saw who was helping her. She recognized his orange hair as the man who asked is she was alright near the orientation room. However, after an even closer look, Tsubaki realized who he was.

"Y-You're Dr. Romani, aren't you?" She asked. The man, though surprised, nodded.

"Yep." The doctor answered. "But just called me Roman. It seems no one can really pronounce my actual name and it has a nice ring to it." Tsubaki nodded when a horrible realization occurred to her.

"The briefing!" She nearly wailed out. "I'm missing it!" Tsubaki tried to get up once again but Roman stopped her.

"You are in no condition in moving about right now after falling uncsoncious." He said. "I already explained to the Director about what happened to you so there's no need to go. Just continue resting." Tsubaki reluctantly did as he said and laid back down. Looking around, she noticed that the room wasn't the medical bay. In fact it resembled the room she usually slept in, albeit with an extra bed.

"Uh, Dr. Roman. What room are we in?" Tsubaki asked. "This looks nothing like the infirmary." Roman blushed slightly at her words.

"Oh...about that." He said with a embarrassed smile. "The medical bay was all the way on the other side of the building from where I found you. I'm sorta too weak to carry you all the way there so I brought you to an empty room where I goof—I mean rest. I couldn't really ask anyone else for help since they all had to be present for the Director's speech." Tsubaki nodded before sighing.

"I heard that everyone was going to help out with the mission after the orientation. I guess I won't be able to attend." She murmured. "I hope the Diirector isn't mad at me." Roman shook his head.

"Oh you aren't on her bad side." He reassured. "Apparently it's two people who kept sleeping during the Director's speech. I heard she gave each of them a hard slap!" Tsubaki looked curiously at him.

"Is that so? But do you know they were?" She asked. As Roman was prepared to answer her, the door to the room opened.

"Ugh I can't believe we can't go to the first mission because we were caught sleeping!" The woman with auburn hair complained. The man with black hair shook his head.

"But that was technically our fault." He answered before looking at Tsubaki and Roman. "Huh? There are people here?" Tsubaki immediately recognized the people from before.

"Gudao and Ritsuka Fujimaru!" She called out. "What are you two doing here?" Immediately she frowned when both people gave a surprised look. She didn't recall knowing their names. So had did she know? Gudao must have thought the same thing.

"Uh, how did you know our names?" He questioned. "I don't recall us ever meeting you before." Ritsuka pulled on his sleeve.

"Wait, Gudao! She looks exactly like the person Mashu was talking about before." She pointed out. "The person who helped us out first." Gudao frowned.

"Even then she couldn't have known about our names." The man countered. "And what is she and this man doing in our room?" Immediately Tsubaki looked accusingly at Roman.

"I wasn't lying about this room being empty!" Roman cried out. "Unless...!" The doctor turned towards Gudao and Ritsuka. "Are you the last of the new arrivals to come?" The two nodded. Tsubaki raised her brow at that.

"Why are they sharing a room? Shouldn't they get their own?" She asked the doctor. Roman shrugged his shoulders.

"Director says we didn't have enough room so she placed the two together since they were relatives anyways." He explained. Tsuabki sighed.

"Then I should go. It isn't right for me to be in their room." She said as the red head sat up.

"O-Oi! Don't just sit up so suddenly! Who knows if you'll fall unconscious again!" Roman scolded as he help her sit up. Gudao and Ristuka shared a look.

"Again?" Ritsuka asked. Roman gave them a brief explanation of what happened to Tsubaki as he helped her stand up. The Fujimarus looked guilty.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that happened." Gudao apologized. "Are you sure you're alright Miss...?"

"Tsubaki Koizumi." She finished. "But just call me Tsubaki. I'll be fine." Then Tsubaki shook her head. "I apologize if I surprised you when I said your names before. I must have heard them from someone else." Ristuka shook her head.

"It's fine!" She said. "Besides, we owe you for helping us. Why not stay in the bed a little longer?" Suddenly, a white ball of fluff appeared out of nowhere and attached itself on Tsubaki's face, causing her vision to be momentarily blocked.

"Fou! Get off of Tsubaki's face!" Gudao scolded.

"Kyu!" The creature said as it removed itself from the red head's face and instead rested on her shoulders. Tsubaki recognized the creature as the one who been with Mashu. Tsubaki giggled as she petted the creature, the latter purring slightly.

"It's alright. He's rather cute." She said. Roman cleared his throat.

"By the way, my name is Dr. Romani Archaman." He introduced himself. "But just call me Roman. It'll be easier." Gudao and Ritsuka nodded.

"OK. As you know, my name is Gudao Fujimaru." Gudao said before he gestured towards Ritsuka. "She's Ritsuka Fujimaru. We're cousins by blood—our fathers were twin brothers." Tsubaki nodded. So this what Roman had meant when he said relatives—they looked similar yet not enough to be brother and sister. Ristuka smiled at Roman.

"It's nice to meet your acquaintance, Roman." The auburn haired woman said. Suddenly she walked over to doctor and tiptoed up to ruffle his hair. Roman was so shocked that he stood there and let Ritsuka do so.

"R-Ritsuka! What are you doing?!" Gudao cried out with a mortified expression. Ritsuka gave a content giggle.

"Wow! His hair really is fluffy as it looks!" She said joyfully. "Just like Fou's fur!" Immediately Fou gave an indignant huff as though insulted that Ritsuka said that. Tsubaki stared at the scene. As if realizing what was happening, Roman quickly brush Ritsuka's hand off and moved away with a deepening blush. As Gudao scolded Ritsuka, Tsubaki went up to Roman.

"Dr. Roman, are you alright?" She asked. The doctor nodded as he touched where Ritsuka ruffled his hair.

"Y-Yeah. Just surprised me." He answered. By then Gudao had finished chastising Ritsuka and the two came up to the others. Roman recomposed himself and gave a smile.

"Well, since we are all here why don't we spend some time together?" He asked. Ritsuka peered carefully at him.

"...Is it because you're a loner?" She asked.

"Ritsuka!"

* * *

Although she reluctant to stay longer, Tsubaki found herself to be enjoying the group's company. Romana and Gudao found themselves in a deep conversation about Chaldea while she and Ritsuka played with Fou and gossiped. As the girls were gossiping, Tsubaki tried to recall when she ever had as much fun as now.

 _"Mother and I used to have so much fun together."_ Tsubaki thought sadly. _"Until she..."_ Suddenly, Ritsuka asked her something.

"Tsubaki, what's that bracelet around your wrist? I don't think I've ever seen it before." The female pointed out. Tsubaki smiled softly as she brought her wrist up to show it better to Ritsuka.

"It's because it was handmade by Papa." Tsubaki explained, tracing her fingers around the bracelet. "Papa made this bracelet entirely out of gemstones. The bracelet carved out from a large moonstone. Then Papa grooved out curves and put in different gemstones. He gave the bracelet to Mother on their wedding anniversary." Tsubaki pointed towards a pink colored gem. "This rose quartz is special. Papa put this in from Mother's wedding ring, which was a family heirloom, when it broke. Mother was so happy that she cried." Then Tsubaki frowned.

"However, I don't remember him. Mother said that Papa died in an accident just a little after I was born." She whispered. "Mother raised me alone after that—it seemed that all my relatives had passed away at that point. But, she recently died due to an illness and this is all I have left of her." Ritsuka said nothing at first.

"...I'm sorry." Ritsuka apologized. "I shouldn't have asked." Tsubaki shook her head.

"You couldn't have known." She said. "Besides, I'm glad you asked. "It helps me keep the memories of Mother and even Papa alive in me." Just then, a different voice rang out in the room.

 _"Romani, we're going to start the Rayshift soon. Could you come in case of an emergency?"_ The voice called out. As Roman began to communicate with the voice, Tsubaki felt a strange warmth coming from her bracelet. Looking down she saw that the rose quartz was letting off a glow. Suddenly the redhead recalled feeling a similar warmth earlier before she fainted. When Roman finished his conversation, Gudao spoke up.

"That voice sounded familiar. Was it a guy named Lev?" He asked. The doctor nodded.

"Yeah. His name is Lev Lainur. As you heard he wants me at the command room." Roman explained. "But it wouldn't hurt anyone if I was a little late. There seems to be no problems with the A Team anyways." Tsubaki pursed her lips at his words, the heat of the bracelet disappearing.

"Are you sure Dr. Roman? What if something does happen?" She asked. "You should go right away." Ritsuka pouted.

"Aw but I wanted to talk with him some more!" The woman whined. "Gudao was hogging him the whole time." Roman laughed slightly as he stood from his spot.

"Well, why don't you come to the infirmary next time then?" He suggested. "I'll treat you to some yummy cake too!" Ritsuka smiled.

"Alright! That's a promise!" The Fujimaru exclaimed. Gudao groaned and buried his face into his hands. Suddenly, the lights in the room went out just as an explosion sounded. The group was momentarily plunged into darkness before a large alarm went off followed by flashing red lights.

 _ **[Emergency. Emergency. A fire has broken out in the Central Power Station and the Central Command Room. Central Area's Containment wall will activate in 90 seconds. All staff must evacuate from Gate 2 at once.]**_

"Wha-What's happening Dr. Roman?" Tsubaki called out as the voice repeated its warning. "Was that an explosion?!" Roman grimaced.

"Monitor, show us the Command Room!" He commanded. Immediately a screen blinked to life and the group was greeted with a horrific scene. Debris and fire filled the Command Room, showing the destruction that had just occurred. Ritsuka gasped in shock.

"G-Gudao!" She cried out. "Mashu!" Gudao nodded as he understood.

"Mashu was part of the A Team. She must still be in there!" He whispered. Tsubaki's eyes widened in shock when she heard him say that. Fou gave a mournful cry as it jumped onto Gudao's shoulder.

"I'm heading to the command room. The containment wall will close soon. You three need to evacuate." Roman order before rushing out the door. The three people shared a look.

"We can't leave Mashu by herself!" Both Fujimarus declared. Tsubaki nodded in agreement. Though she hadn't known the teen for long, Tsubaki couldn't leave an innocent person in danger! Immediately everyone rushed after Roman.

"Wha-?! Gate 2's back that way!" He cried out as they ran alongside him.

"We need to help anyone still stuck in that room!" Tsubaki proclaimed. Roman, understanding their intentions, quickly led them to the command room. When the group arrived, Tsubaki felt her heart drop. A quick survey told her no one could have survived this explosion, not when flames had almost consumed the room and large pieces of the ceiling scattered the ground.

"This was no accident. This was sabotage." Roman murmured before turning his attention back to Tsubaki and the others. "I'm heading towards the underground power room. Chaldeas' lights can't go out! You guys need to go outside immediately!" With that the doctor left towards his destination.

"...I'm sure there has to be a survivor somewhere!" Gudao declared and began his search. Ritsuka and Tsubaki quickly followed him. No sooner as they done so when Gudao let out a yell.

"Mashu!" He cried out. Tsubaki and Ritsuka quickly caught up to Gudao and saw Mashu pinned down by a large debris. Blood dripped down from her head as she laid there. Ritsuka quickly went over to her cousin to help him but Tsubaki hesitated.

 _"Her wounds..."_ She thought. _"And that giant debris. There's no way we can save her...No, I can't think that. Mashu is still alive!"_ Suddenly, the large machine in the middle turned on, letting off an eerie color not unlike the fire that surrounded them.

 ** _[Now rewriting Sheba's near-future prediction data. Unable to detect the existence of mankind 100 years in the future on Earth. Unable to confirm human survivors. Unable to guarantee mankind's future.]_**

"A-Ah...It turned red..." Tsubaki whispered, unaware that her bracelet began to radiate with heat again. Soon another announcement was sounded, indicating the closing of the containment wall and the beginning of the internal containment procedure.

"...T-They shut off...the area. Now we...c-can't get out." Mashu gasped out. Ritsuka stopped pushing on the debris and quickly grabbed one of Mashu's hand with her own.

"Don't worry! We'll figure this out!" She reassured. Gudao did the same as Ritsuka and took Mashu's other hand. Fou jumped off from Gudao's shoulder and licked Mashu's face to comfort her. Tsubaki nodded.

"No matter what happens, we'll get through this!" She declared. Suddenly, Tsubaki grimaced as she brought her wrist up. Her bracelet was now giving off an unbearable heat, the rose quartz shining brighter than before.

"T-Tsubaki! Your bracelet is glowing!" Ritsuka pointed out. Suddenly, another announcement echoed through the decimated room.

 ** _[Coffin Vitals: Masters. Baseline not reached. Rayshift requirement not met. Searching for qualifying Masters...Found.]_**

 ** _[Candidate No. 46, Tsubaki Koizumi. Candidate No. 47, Ritsuka Fujimaru. Candidate No. 48, Gudao Fujimaru.]_**

 ** _[Reset as Master. Unsummon program, start. Spiritron Conversion, start.]_**

"Tsubaki, grab our hands!" Gudao called out as he and Ritsuka offered their free hands to her. As the machine began to countdown, Tsubaki felt her bracelet grow ever hotter as she took both their hands. If this was to be the end then so be it.

 _"I...have no regrets."_ Tsubaki thought.

 _ **"...Are you sure about that, Tsubaki?"**_

 ** _[All Procedures Clear. First Order, commencing operation.]_**

* * *

Tsubaki thought she died. No, the redhead was sure she died in the burning room when the machine went on the fritz. And yet here she was, very much alive. Although Tsubaki was no longer in the burning room, she as now in a burning city.

"Where...am I?" She whispered out. "Gudao? Ritsuka? Mashu?...Anybody?" No one answered her calls. With a groan, Tsubaki looked down at her hands and gasped out in surprise. On her right hand, where her bracelet was, were red tattoos. The tattoos formed a familiar looking flower. Tsubaki realized the marks resembled a camellia—her namesake. However, there was more to that. The redhead felt as though she seen these exact marks somewhere before...Tsubaki shook the thoughts out of her head.

"Tsubaki, get yourself together!" She scolded herself. "I need to see if the others are nearby." Thus Tsubaki began to cautiously search around. Though she saw nothing but flames and totaled buildings, Tsubaki felt as though there were some hidden danger lurking nearby. As she looked around, Tsubaki suddenly heard a loud scream.

"Kyaaaaa!" A voice cried out. Immediately, Tsubaki rushed over towards the voice. When she arrived the red head was greeted with the sight of a white haired woman being surrounded by armed skeletons. Tsubaki immediately recognized the woman.

 _"That's Director—Olga Marie Animusphere!"_ Tsubaki thought. _"I need to save her!"_ Though she had no real weapon on her. Nevertheless, Tsubaki improvised with what she had. She grabbed a loose pole from nearby and headed into the fray.

"Hey, over here!" Tsubaki yelled. The skeletons looked over at her just as she swung the pole at one of them. The red head was successful in knocking off one of the skeleton's head. Tsubaki quickly slipped under the legs of the enemies and placed herself in front of Olga Marie.

"Wha-?! Who are you?!" The director questioned. Tsubaki grimaced as she parried a skeleton's attack.

"I'm one of the Master Candidate from Chaldeas, Director Animusphere!" Tsubaki answered as she threw off an assailant. Just as another one prepared to attack, the skeleton was suddenly crushed by a large shield. Tsubaki blinked in surprised as the shield lifted to reveal a familiar face.

"M-Mashu!" The redhead cried out. Though she was in a different getup and carrying a strange shield, Mashu looked exactly the same. The kouhai smiled at her as Gudao and Ritsuka ran up to them from behind, Fou on the male Fujimaru's shoulder.

"Master, I'm glad you're alright!" Mashu said. Tsubaki frowned as she lowered the pole.

"Master?" She asked. Mashu nodded.

"Yes. You, Gudao, and Ritsuka are my masters. I am in a contract with all three of you." The girl explained. Tsubaki was shocked and was about to question Mashu more when Olga Marie interrupted.

"What?! A Demi-Servant?! Why of all times did it succeed now?!" She questioned. Immediately, Mashu explained the circumstances of her transformation and the contract that binded her with the Master Candidates. Gudao and Ritsuka took that time to explain to Tsubaki where they were and what happened to them.

"So there's more of these skeletons throughout Fuyuki?" Tsubaki murmured. "What exactly happened here?" At that point, Olga Marie seemed to understand the situation.

"If it's like this then I have no choice." Olga murmured before facing the Tsubaki and the others. "Since it's an emergency, I'll approve you three and Kyrielight's contract." Then she began to give out orders.

"First we need to set up a base camp." The director ordered. "We'll need to find a Leyline Terminal so we can contact Chaldeas. So this town's Leyline is..." Mashu pointed at Olga Marie's feet.

"Right where you're standing director." Mashu answered. Olga was stunned.

"O-Of course! I knew that." She said with a embarrassed expression. Ritsuka stifled a laugh which caused Gudao to glare at her and Tsubaki to sigh. Immediately, Olga Marie instructed Mashu to lay her shield down and created a summoning circle. Once the director finished the process, a blue glow enveloped the group. Suddenly, Roman appeared, albeit as a digital copy.

 _"CQ, CQ. Hello, Hello? Okay, the connection's back!"_ Roman said. _"With this the connection's secure. Now we can communicate and even send rations..."_ Olga Marie seemd displeased that Roman greeted them.

"Huh? Why are you running the show. Romani? Where's Lev?" She asked. "Put Lev on!" Roman seemed shock.

 _"Wha-?! Director?! You're alive and unharmed?"_ The doctor questioned as though he couldn't believe.

"What's that supposed to be mean?" Olga Marie demanded. "Where's Lev? What's the head medic doing in charge?" At that, Roman expression turned somber.

 _"I know I'm not cut out for this task but there's no one else, Olga Marie."_ Roman informed. _"Out of the current remaining staff that survived, no one is ranked higher than me. That's why I was put in charge of the operations. Lev...He was supervising from the command room. There's no way he survived."_ Olga Marie seemed stunned at this revelation.

"Dr. R-Roman. Who else survived?" Tsubaki asked. Roman said nothing at first.

 _"...From the full time staff there's only a third left."_ The head medic answered. _"As for the masters, we could save a few, but we are low on medical supplies..."_

"Idiot! Cyropreserve them first!" Olga Marie ordered. "We need to save their lives! Focus on reviving them later!"

"I forgot that the coffins had those functions! I'll get on it right away!" Roman said before he disappeared. Mashu gave the director a strange look.

"I'm surprised, Director. Cryopreservation without consent is considered a crime." The Demi-Servant said. Olga Marie shook her head.

"As long as they're alive I can always explain myself later." The Director answered before grimacing. "I couldn't bear the burden of those lost lives. Lev, if only you were here..." Tsubaki had to hand it to the Olga Marie—She put the the lives of humans before her own reputation.

 _"But she is the director."_ Tsubaki thought with a smile. Soon, Roman was back and gave a general report on Chaldeas' status. After some decisions, Olga Marie decided to remain in the Singularity for now while Roman continued with the Rayshift repairs. With that the director cut off connections with a sigh.

"Considering the...lack of experience you three I suppose we will need more support." Olga Marie said towards the group. "Thus I will be allowing you to summon more Servants." As she said that Olga Marie reached into the bag she had by her side and pulled out a small, rainbow colored star-shaped prism. "I was planning on allowing the other Masters to summon but I suppose you'll have to do." Tsubaki peered carefully at the glowing prism.

"What exactly are those things?" She asked. "I've never seen them before." Olga gave a small hump as she placed the item back in her bag.

"Saint Quartz." She answered. "An item containing highly condensed prana and mana energy that can be used to summon servants or used as energy for a mage. This is the result of of Chaldeas' FATE system. Making even one of these requires a great deal of time and effort. You should be honored that I will be allowing you three to use all ten that I have right now. Now get over here and I'll tell you what you need to do." Wasting no time, the Masters did as the woman said and positions themselves around the summoning circle—Tsubaki and Ritsuka at the side while Gudao was at the head. Olga Marie placed all ten of the Saint Quartz around the circle, equal distance apart.

"Now just raise the hand containing your command seals and it should start." The director instructed. Nodding, the master brought their hands up at the same time. Immediately as they did so the Command Seals on their hand began to glow brightly. The Saint Quartz began to glow brightly and, to their surprise, levitated off the ground and began spinning around. Eventually, the quartz slammed together in the center of the circle, releasing a column of pure prana energy. Everyone near the circle were force to squint their eyes or look away from the intense light that came from the column. Through her narrowed eyes, Tsubaki gasped in surprise as she spotted a figure emerging form the column. Soon another figure and then another until it totaled to eight people. Then the column of prana flickered slightly before it disappeared, leaving behind only a card in its place. With the light no longer in their eyes, the Masters took a closer look at their summoned servants. Each servant varied in appearance, yet none spoke to them. Then the one with blonde hair and green eyes broke the silence.

"I ask of you. Are you my Master?" The woman asked, her blue dress swaying slightly as she eyed the three people before her. With a nod from all three the woman spoke once more. "I am Saber; my true name is Artoria Pendragon." With that she stepped out of the summoning circle. The servants more or else followed the Artoria's introduction—EMIYA of the Archer class; Cu Chulainn of the Lancer class; Medusa of the Rider Class; Medea of the Caster Class; Sasaki Kojiro and Cursed Arm Hassan of the Assassin Class. The last Servant, whose garbled introduction somehow was deciphered by Ritsuka to be Heracles, was the last to step out of the summoning circle. Gudao went into the circle and picked up a card.

"What's this?" He asked Olga. The director examined the card.

"A Craft Essence." The director answered. "Not all summons grant a Servant. If a Servant does not answer a particular summon then a Craft Essence takes their place. I'll ask Roman to analyze it later." Tsubaki frowned as she recounted the servants.

"Wait, something isn't right. We're missing a summon." She pointed out. "Even if a Craft Essence counts as one, we only got nine!" Olga Marie frowned.

"It seems the FATE system has some glitches in it. I'll have to figure it out later." The albino answered. "Now, let's go. This investigation isn't going to be solved by itself." Ritsuka and Gudao walked away from circle to greet their new comrades but Tsubaki seemed reluctant.

 _"There must be something else."_ She thought as she walked over to where Gudao once stood. Immediately as she stepped into his position the rose quartz on her bracelet let off another bright glow, the heat suddenly radiating from the accessory increasing rapidly. Suddenly a column of prana erupted from the center of the circle.

"Wha-?! The summoning wasn't finished?!" Olga Marie cried out in disbelief. The command seals on Gudao and Ritsuka were glowing, but the light was significantly dimmer compared to Tsubaki whose seals let off a brilliant glow. Gritting her teeth, Tsubaki held up her hand towards the column, causing the seals to grow even brighter. Tsubaki watched as someone walked out from the prana yet the light was still too bright for her to see clearly. Soon the column faded away once more and Tsubaki wearily dropped her hand. Then, she noticed something.

 _"Eyes the color of the clear sky."_ Tsubaki remembered she stared into the Servant's eyes. The Servant in return looked at her. Gudao and Ritsuka quickly rushed over.

"A little late to the summons but it doesn't really matter." Gudao said. "What is your name?" Suddenly tears dripped down Tsubaki's face as the Servant answered the Fujimaru.

"I am of the Lancer class." The pale skinned Servant began, never taking his eyes off of Tsubaki. "My True Name is..." Tsubaki whispered the Lancer's name just as he finished.

"Karna."

* * *

 _ **Now begins the journey of the Three Masters. With the power of the Heroic Spirits now in their hands, can three seemingly ordinary people change humanity's future? And what exactly is the connection between Tsubaki and the son of the Sun God? Until Next Time...**_

* * *

 **So this is where I will explain what you can expect from the story and the details I added/changed:**

 **Memorial Essence: This is one of the details I've decided to integrate from GhostXavier's story into mine. Besides providing a reason to exclude duplicate Servants from entering Chaldea, it always provides a gateway for character development. Please note that memorial essences won't be the only detail I will be "borrowing" but it is a major component that I want to point out. Generally Servants will some memory of past Grail experiences but it can differ depending on each Servant (i.e. Artoria remembers the events of the Fate Route but EMIYA only recalls the Fate/Stay Night route.)**

 **Servants/Classes in the Game: While I won't be doing duplicate servants, I will be adding in Alters and Lilies. There is also the issue of same Servants but different classes. For example, Elizabeth Bathory has three canon classes so far in the game. All three classes can be summoned, but only one "Elizabeth Bathory" will be there. The other classes will come as an outfit, sorta of like a "Mystic Code" for servants. This mean that Elizabeth can change between a Lancer, Caster, or a Saber so long as she has those "Mystic Codes" somewhere on her. This also applies to other Servants with multiple classes. You may PM me if there is still any confusion.**

 **Servants not in the Game:** **In this story I will be including OC Servants or Servants that are canon in the Fateverse but not placed in the game's gacha. The process in summoning these servants are quite different than summoning canon Servants. Please see When Masters Summon under Tsubaki Koizumi for more details.**

 **Summoning: The summoning in this chapter will be the first and last of its kind—we all painfully know well just how bad the RNG of the gacha can be. Because this Singularity was occurring in Fuyuki and considering our newly titled Masters are inexperienced, I thought that the entire cast of servants of Fate/Stay Night could help bolster their defenses. Again, summoning such a high quantity in one shot will never happen again. Note that star ratings have no influence on the summoning. Also note that a summon will require a single Saint Quartz instead of three and a ten summons requires ten and not thirty. Saint Quartz are still rare to be obtain though.**

 **When Masters Summon:** **While Masters are not able to directly choose the Servants they want, each individual person does have a particular perk they exert during the process in this story. The position they take around the circle also influences how the summoning will react that particular perk (standing at the head of the circle is usually where a Master's influence is the strongest.)**

 _Gudao Fujimaru- If the male Master encounters a Servant that Chaldea has not summon yet, there is a higher chance said Servant will be in a single pull if Gudao stands at the head. The chance increases even more should he make a **connection** with them or vice versa. This does not work in a ten pull summons and will only give out Craft Essences/Memorial Essence if tried. Generally Gudao is good at getting decent repeats and thus is often the one to summon if a Servant requires a Memorial Essence or Craft Essence._

 _Ritsuka Fujimaru-It's either "go big or go home" with this Female Master. Similar to her Learning with Manga! counterpart's love for gacha, Ritsuka's perk shines when she does a ten summons. Ritsuka is guaranteed to pull at least one servant that the Gudao did not make a connection with (or vice versa) or a particularly useful craft essence. Of course, once she does so Ritsuka will get nothing but mediocre Craft Essence or Memorial Essence on the next ten pull as she has to take some time to restore her "gacha luck". If Ritsuka does a single summon, she is _**_always guaranteed_ ** _to pull a Black Key or the like every time (much to her chagrin)._

 _Tsubaki Koizumi-This Master has an unusual perk. No matter which summons, a single or a ten pull, Tsubaki is only able to get Black Keys. She cannot even get Memorial Essences. However, as a result, she is the only one with the ability to pull an OC Servant or a Servant not in the game's gacha. In order to do so, Tsubaki must have dreams of the Servant she sees and must discover their True Names through the hints they gave. Once this occurs, Tsubaki's bracelet glows and she must hurry to the summoning circle to pull **before the light disappears**. While this ability does not work on the ten pull, Tsubaki is guaranteed that particular servant in the single pull should her bracelet still be glowing._

 **Ascensions and Noble Phantasms:** **Just like in the game, ascensions and powering up noble phantasms are critical in this story. Though Chaldeas' FATE system allows the summoning of more than one Heroic Spirit, the consequence is that the Servants are a weaker version of their original selves. The Masters of Chaldea often have to pull for duplicate Servants and search for Ascension materials (Leonardo Da Vinci is able to make said materials but it requires far too much energy and other components. This is usually done only when the Master cannot Rayshift to get the materials or if it important to get the materials as soon as possible.) A Servant can only max out Ascensions and Noble Phantasms as the same amount in the actual game. However, the Servants can still obtain more Memorial Essence though it will not necessarily affect their power levels. Servants typically have multiple Noble Phantasms but for the sake of simplicity they only have the one in the game.**

 **Experience/Fou Cards:** **The " exp cards" do exist but come in solid gold/silver stars which are made by Da Vinci. It is a crystal of pure mana that provides energy for Servants though they much prefer to consume real food to maintain their mana levels. While it is not needed for Ascensions, Servants keep some on hand should circumstances force the connections to their Masters and they cannot be given the necessary mana to maintain their forms. Da Vinci requires a great of Mana to make these so the Masters often have to obtain Mana Prisms and exchange them with the Servant. Fou Cards are simply bronze stars that act just like experience cards but at a much lower level.**

 **Leonardo Da Vinci:** **Da Vinci's role is exactly the same as in the game but with some additional jobs. The Servant happily takes on the responsibility of providing rooms for the new Servants and designs said rooms the way they are wanted in a startling short amount of time (aka Da Vinci is the designer/experimenter of Chaldeas).**

 **Defeated Servants:** **As result of the FATE system, when Servants are defeated in battle, they do not return to the Throne of Heroes. Rather the defeated Servants are forced back into their spirit forms and must return to Chaldeas where they recuperate in special prana/mana chambers that Da Vinci made. However, while there may be no danger of the Servants disappearing from the system, it takes a considerable amount of time to regain their physical forms even with said chambers. As a result, Masters may become more exposed to their enemies as the number of Servants dwindle.**

 **Karna:** **While the this Lancer is no different than any other Servant in the game, his connection to Tsubaki is critical in this story. This connection is the reason why he summoned so early compared to the game and why Tsubaki knows of his name.**

 **There is definitely be more to be discussed but that can be saved later.**

 **Until Next Time! R &R!**


	2. The Encounter

**Hello! Another chapter is up! I sincerely apologize for the very long hiatus on this story. Since I had just entered college, it was important for me to focus on my school work. While I can not make any promises for an update schedule, the chapters I do post will be lengthy so you don't have to be too disappointed with any hiatus that pops up. I'm also thankful for those who have stuck with this story despite there being only one chapter and the new favorites/follows. It helps with my motivation to continue writing even during school.**

 **Anyways, there's more notes at the bottom so be sure to read that and enjoy this new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own FGO or their servants, nor do I own any specific details/events portrayed in GhostXavier's series. I own only my OCs.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Masters, the enemy has been defeated." Artoria said as she pulled her invisible blade from the skeleton, the fallen monster disintegrating as she did so. From nearby Mashu slammed her shield down on a wiggling limb.

"I believe it is safe enough for the Director to come out now." The Demi-Servant added. The three Masters nodded.

"Olga! You don't have to be scared anymore!" Ritsuka called out. An angry yell answered her from a giant rock nearby.

"I'm not scared!" Olga Marie yelled indignantly as she appeared from her hiding place with Sasaki Kojiro. "And what did you call me?!" Gudao flinched and quickly elbowed his cousin.

"Let's try not to piss off the Director anymore. I don't think my ears can take it anymore." He murmured to her.

"Fou!" Fou said in agreement on Gudao's shoulder before he jumped off and ran towards Mashu. Tsubaki rolled her eyes.

"That's only because Ritsuka keeps teasing her." The redhead said. "Otherwise Director Animusphere is usually calm." Ritsuka gave her look that said otherwise but didn't say anything. Instead she looked at her surroundings.

"Hm...the Servants we sent scouting sure are taking a long time. You think they'd be back by now." The female Fujimaru said.

"I heard Fuyuki City is a big place. Perhaps that's why." Gudao reasoned. Then he frowned. "But then again they seem to know this place pretty well. I wonder why?" Tsubaki thought the same thing as the woman watched Sasaki talk with Artoria after Olga Marie began to argue with Ritsuka again. After the summoning, Tsubaki and the others quickly explained what exactly was happening and where they were. At the mention of Fuyuki, all the Servants seemed shocked. Even the Berserker Heracles, whom Olga Marie explained was under a Madness Enchantment due to his class, seemed slightly perplexed at the name. Curious as to why they seemed familiar with the place, Tsubaki had questioned Medea before she left to scout.

"We...all participated in the same Holy Grail War here in Fuyuki City." Medea answered. "That's why we were shocked when you summoned us here." However, Tsubaki felt as though there was something else that the Servants were keeping from her and the rest of the Masters though she wasn't sure what. Just then, Olga Marie called out to her.

"Tsubaki Koizumi. There is something I need to discuss with you and the other Masters now that there are no enemies nearby." The Director said. Shaking the thoughts from her head, Tsubaki walked over to where Olga was standing with Gudao and Ritsuka. Based on her expression, the albino seemed displeased.

"Is something wrong Director Animusphere?" Tsubaki asked once she arrived. Olga Marie nodded.

"Yes. It has to do with the...final Servant summoned." She answered hesitantly. Immediately the Masters shared a look. The last Servant that was summoned, Karna, was indeed a strange occurrence.

"The circumstances surrounding Karna's summoning are far too peculiar to ignore." The Director continued. "However, that is not the only concern I have. Tell me, do any of you know about his origins?" Ritsuka and Gudao shot a glance towards Tsubaki.

"Don't look at me! I don't know what legend he's from!" The redhead quickly said.

"But then how did you know his True Name?" Gudao questioned. "I don't think you just happened to guess his name correctly." Tsubaki bit her lower lip. No matter what he said, Gudao was right. The way she just said Karna's name fell out so smoothly, as though the woman had said it a million times. Coupled that with the tears she shed at the sight of him indicated something. But what exactly? Olga Marie sighed.

"Regardless of that fact, Karna was a hero from the Mahabharata." The director explained. Ritsuka blinked her eyes.

"Mah-bruh-what?" She tried repeating. Olga Marie groaned as she face palmed herself.

"The Mahabharata! It is an epic from India!" She exclaimed. "But that's not the point! In the epic, Karna was the son of Surya the Sun god. Records from previous Holy Grail Wars indicated that Karna uses an insane amount of mana. I don't even know if the three of you combined can keep supplying him sufficient mana to use his abilities!" Gudao frowned.

"That's if we can. For some odd reason, I can't really feel a connection to him." The male Fujimaru noted as he looked towards the direction where some of the Servants were. Sasaki and Artoria were now talking with Mashu while Fou slept on Heracles' shoulder, the Berserker standing stoically under a nearby bridge. "I can feel the connection with the other Servants just fine but Karna's feels so much more faint." Ritsuka nodded in agreement.

 _"Well, there may be a reason to that."_ A familiar voice said, causing Tsubaki to jump a little. Everyone watched as Roman appeared via the communications links. Tsubaki sighed. Though the doctor had made use of the device a little while ago to communicate with them, it still surprised her when he spoke. Olga Marie narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you mean there's a reason?" She questioned. Roman sighed and scratched the back of his head as he tried to explain.

 _"Well, while most of our staff are currently working on the Rayshift repairs, I was busy with investigating the newly summoned Servants via the FATE system. I thought it be a good idea to see what the Heroic Spirits are capable of since our three Masters probably don't know how to analyze them."_ The doctor began. _"That's when I noticed something strange with the final Servant. If I'm reading this correctly, then Gudao and Ritsuka aren't actually Karna's Masters."_

"Wha-?! What do mean they aren't his Masters?!" The Director demanded. "Karna didn't say anything about that!" What Olga Marie said wasn't a lie. After the strange introduction, the Lancer listen carefully as the Chaldeans explained the dilemma and even obediently went scouting when Gudao ordered him to with the others. Tsubaki thought it was strange that Karna would let someone other than his actual Master order him.

 _"There's no doubt Karna does consider Gudao and Ritsuka as his Masters, at least to a certain degree."_ Roman corrected. _"However, it seems that he's sworn most of his loyalty to a single Master."_ Tsubaki swallowed nervously as she realized what the temporary director meant.

"You mean, the 'single Master' is me?" She asked hesitantly. Romani nodded. Suddenly, the group heard Mashu yell.

"There seem to be more enemies approaching!" The Demi-Servant warned as she readied her shield. From the distance the group saw a mob of skeletons rush towards them.

 _"W-We can talk later!"_ Roman stuttered before disappearing. Immediately Olga Marie ducked behind the rock she hid before as the Masters organized their Servants.

"Mashu, stop the mob at the bridge!" Gudao ordered. Mashu nodded and slammed her shield down.

"Artoria, Sasaki! Cover Mashu's back!" Tsubaki commanded. The Saber and Assassin briefly disappeared and reappeared at Mashu's side, guarding her from any potential enemies.

"Heracles, go all out!" Ritsuka yelled. "But be careful of our allies!" The Berserker, once quiet, roared loudly at her command. Fou yelped in shock and jumped onto the ground just Heracles launched himself into the enemy forces. The furry creature quickly rushed over to Gudao and jumped onto his shoulder.

"Is it just me or does there seem to be less than before?" Ritsuka murmured as she scanned the forces. Gudao frowned.

"Seems like it." He answered. "But where did the rest go? Suddenly, Olga Marie screamed.

"Gah! They're coming from the other side!" The Director shrieked as she ran towards them. The Masters turned around and saw yet another wave of skeletons approach them, this time larger than before. Tsubaki tsked and looked back to where the Servants were. It seemed that they were all preoccupied by the forces on the other side.

"I don't think Mashu and the others can help us right now!" Tsubaki yelled out as she shielded Olga Marie, the Director running behind her for protection. "We need the other Servants! We don't have the means to take all these monsters by ourselves!" Suddenly, in the middle of the enemy forces, an explosion was set off. Soon more explosions followed the first.

"Are those swords hitting the ground?!" Ritsuka shouted as she kicked a skeleton that got too close. Immediately as she did so, the monster was impaled by a blood colored spear.

"Sorry for being so late Master!" Cu Chulainn announced as he pulled his weapon from the disintegrating bones. "Hope ya aren't too bruised up! Archer's up on top of some building picking off the enemy and Caster's here behind ya!" Just as he said that, Medea unleash a powerful spell that disintegrated the skeletons that got too close to the masters.

"Cursed Arm! Are you going to stay hidden in the shadows or are you going to fight for our Masters?!" Caster shouted. A scoff answered the Servant's answered as a row of skeletons were decapitated, the Assassin appearing from the shadows as his enemies turned to ashes.

"Have you no faith in me? I will not let a single one touch our Masters!" He declared before retreating into the shadows once more to attack. Tsubaki, awed at the immense power the Heroic Spirits displayed, suddenly felt her bracelet grow abnormally hot. Grimacing as she grabbed her arm, Tsubaki noticed that the skeletons began to retreat.

"Huh? They're...backing off? That's new." Ritsuka noted as the skeletons retreated away. "Perhaps they finally got the idea that they can't win?"

"It's not like these are intelligent creatures." Medea said as EMIYA appeared before the group. "They are just skeletons after all. I sense something is about to happen." As though to prove Caster's words, sinister laughter began to echo in the suddenly quiet environment.

 _"Aren't you the observant one, Caster?"_ The voice said. _"Or should I say, Medea?"_ Suddenly, chains appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the Masters, cutting them off from the Servants. The Servants readied their weapons as the enemy revealed themselves to be a black hooded woman wielding a sickle shaped weapon. Long purple hair flowed down her body that was tattooed with blood colored marks, her golden eyes staring at the Masters with amusement as the Chaldeans tried to find a way out.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The woman warned the Masters, lips stretching into a malicious smile. "Not if you want to live a little longer." Mashu narrowed her eyes at the woman when she suddenly realized something.

"I-It can't be...Rider?!" The Demi-Servant cried out. Cursed Arm shot her a look as he arose from the shadows.

"No, this is not the same Servant our Masters summoned." The assassin corrected. "This a corrupt version of her. To think I would see such a phenomenon in this summoning...! Could we also have such counterparts in this Fuyuki?" All the Servants looked at Cursed Arm with confusion and shock.

"What the hell are you talking about right now?!" Cu Chulainn demanded. "Our Masters are being held hostage!" The corrupted Medusa smirked as she twirled her sickle around.

"Fighting among yourself already? It's like you don't even care for your Masters' fates." She said. Immediately as the woman said so, the chains tightened, drawing closer to the Chaldeans.

"Move away from the chains!" Olga Marie ordered as she brought her hand out. "This is still Medusa we're fighting against! Her chains may turn us into stone!" Then, the albino slammed her hand down on the ground, causing the area to glow as a shield was erected up against the chains.

"Oh? So you do know of my legend. How interesting, though it will do little to help you." The corrupt Rider mused. "How long can your little shield last?" Olga Marie gritted her teeth as the chains tightened around the shield which began to crack under the pressure.

"Master!" Saber cried out before glaring at Medusa Alter. "You coward! Face us like a real warrior!" Medusa Alter's smirk grew wider. In a flash, the servant descended on Artoria. The blond barely had time to block the corrupted Rider's sickle as it came down her. However, the alter Medusa kicked her in the abdomen, causing Artoria to be thrown back.

"Saber!" EMIYA yelled out and ran to her, just in time to prevent Artoria from falling over the railing. Saber hissed in pain as she clutched her body where it was kicked.

"Weak. How pitifully weak you all are!" The corrupted Rider laughed out. "Is this really your true strength?!" Tsubaki bit her lower lip as another crack appeared on the shield. This was yet again a flaw in the FATE system as Olga Marie had told them. Though it allowed a Master to summon more than one Servant, the Heroic Spirits were vastly weaker than their usual self. And that wasn't even including Mashu's dilemma. The Demi-Servant was unable to activate her Noble Phantasm for she could not figure out which Heroic Spirit she was housing. Even if the group had the advantage in number, Medusa Alter most likely surpassed them in terms of magic and strength.

"If only Lev and I had noticed the flaws of the system earlier!" Olga Marie groaned out as she tried her best to maintain the shield. "Then we wouldn't be in this mess!" Gudao gritted his teeth.

"Everyone! Engage her all at once!" The male Fujimaru commanded. Ritsuka grimaced as the Servants quickly did as they were told.

"Gudao, they can only her hold her off for so long. How will this help us get out of here?!" She demanded. Gudao gripped his hands tightly.

"You're right. However, we still have two more Servants." He explained. "If we can buy a little more time, it's possible that we can surprise the other Medusa!" Gudao's plans were risky, yet it was the best that could be made at the moment. As Tsubaki painfully watched their Servants get tossed around like rag dolls, the red head made a prayer.

 _"Please, anyone, help us!"_ She silently begged, her bracelet glowing slightly. Mashu let out a cry of pain as she was thrown into a lamppost, causing the structure to crumble. Gritting her teeth, the Demi-Servant wiped off the trail of blood from her mouth and prepared to jump back into the fray when a voice suddenly spoke.

 _"I'm impressed."_ The voice praised. _"You're a little girl, yet you've got some guts. I suppose I'll help you out a little."_ Mashu widened her eyes as she looked around to find who had just spoken. Suddenly, from the corners of her eyes, she saw runes appear out of nowhere and detonate on the chains surrounding the Masters. Everyone, surprised by the explosion, turned to see that the chains had disintegrated.

"W-Who did that just now?!" Ritsuka breathed out in shock. Olga Marie quickly let down the shield, breathing heavily as she did.

"This...is no time to get surprised! We are...in a battle right now!" The Director panted out. The corrupted Rider growled.

"I know those runes anywhere...Caster, where are you?!" She demanded. A chuckle answered her as a man wearing a blue hood materialize, holding a wooden staff in his right hand.

"Another enemy Servant?" Sasaki asked warily. A smirk stretched across the newcomer's face as he pulled down his hood, revealing yet a familiar face.

"Gah! I-It's me?!" Cu Chulainn exclaimed in shock. "As a Caster?! What the hell happened?!" EMIYA groaned.

"Not another blue haired idiot..." The Archer complained. The other Cu Chulainn glared at EMIYA before turning towards the Masters.

"For reasons of my own, I'm not allied with this Rider." He explained. "The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, but it'll do for now. Let's make a temporary contract." The three Masters looked each other briefly before nodding.

"We'll be relying on your help, Caster!" Gudao replied. Medusa Alter scoffed before giving a dangerous smile.

"Well, that just means I get to kill you earlier than expected!" She said and summoned more chains to attack Caster Cu. However, the other Cu Chulainn did not move from his spot.

"Caster, move!" Tsubaki ordered. "Her chains will turn you into stone!" The caster Servant smirked as the chains grew closer.

"My temporary Master, have a little more faith." He chided slightly. "After all, I didn't come alone." Immediately as he said so, a pair of daggers were thrown from behind him, hitting the chains and causing them to fall without even reaching Caster. Medusa Alter's eyes widened in disbelief as Medusa revealed herself, pulling her daggers back.

"I apologized for my late arrival, Masters." Rider said. "I would have revealed myself earlier, but Caster insisted that I wait if he were to give us his assistance." Then, Medusa turned towards her corrupted counterpart, an expression of disgust and anger visible as her lips pulled into a frown. "How unsightly to see myself in such disgrace. Usually I would not care about who defeats the enemy but I must insist that I be the one to end it." The other Rider, after recovering from her shock, smirked.

"Ha! Do you really think you can beat me by yourself when your allies couldn't do it together?!" She cackled. "Such arrogance and pride!" Then, the corrupted Servant eyed the Chaldeans once more. "But just in case...Perhaps I should weaken you!" Immediately the other Medusa lunged towards the Masters. Tsubaki quickly pushed Olga Marie and the others away just as Medusa Alter grabbed her by the throat, hanging the red head in the air.

"Tsubaki!" Ritsuka cried out, attempting to run towards her only to be stopped by her cousin. Tsubaki gasped for air as the corrupted Servant's grip tightened. Just as her vision began to blackened, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"I do not appreciate you placing a hand on my Master." The voice calmly said. Suddenly, Medusa Alter screamed out in pain, causing her to drop Tsubaki. As the red head took in precious oxygen into her lungs, she saw why the rider had dropped her. A golden spear was protruding out of her chest, blood dripping down the wound.

"K-Karna! You're finally here!" Tsubaki breathed out. The Lancer gave a curt nod.

"My apologies for not arriving sooner to defend you." He said. Karna looked back at the Rider who was weakly clawing at his spear. With a flick of his wrist he pulled his spear out of the corrupted Servant, causing her to fall on the ground. Soon, Medusa Alter disappeared, fading to ashes. Karna turned to the Chaldean's Medusa who bore an aggravated expression.

"...You ended her. I was suppose to do that." Rider quietly said. The albino gave her a condescending look.

"Your counterpart was prepared to kill one of our Masters. Considering I still had the element of surprise, it was foolish not to take the chance." Karna replied, shaking the blood from his spear. "Our Masters are now safe, yet you remain unhappy. It seems your personal vendetta is more important than the lives of our Masters." Medusa growled and raised her daggers at him. Karna responded by pointing his spear at her. Immediately, Tsubaki jumped in between the two.

"Enough! What's done is done! We have more important issues to worry about!" The teen scolded. Karna briefly stared at Tsubaki before lowering his spear.

"...As you now know, it seems that there are more Servants in this city." The Lancer reported. "I was preoccupied with them earlier, hence why I could not arrive until now." Gudao frowned as he took in the information.

"Karna, when you engaged with them, did you recognize any of the Servants?" The male Fujimaru asked. Caster Cu rolled his eyes.

"You could have just asked me." The Irishman sighed as he twirled his staff around. "If you think meeting me and Medusa were just coincidences, you're wrong. Most of the Servants from the Fifth Holy Grail in Fuyuki City are here, corrupted just like Rider was." Immediately, the Heroic Spirits gave a loud uproar.

"We have corrupted doubles in this city?" Sasaki questioned. "Inconceivable!" Just then, Roman chimed back in with a terrified expression.

 _"He's not lying! I'm sensing more Servants and they're coming closer!"_ The doctor warned. _"Get out of there while you still can!"_ Gudao grimaced.

"We can talk later! Right now we need to go!" He ordered. Lancer Cu nodded and grabbed Ritsuka, throwing her over his shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She screamed as the Servant ran.

"It'll be faster!" He yelled and sprinted away. EMIYA shook his head.

"What an idiot." The archer murmured under his breath, gaining a angry look from Caster Cu as the tanned man began to follow the Lancer.

"Hey, I resent that!" He growled, trailing after him. Mashu gave Gudao a look, a light blush forming on her face.

"I-If you want, I can also carry you." Mashu stuttered slightly. "It might be faster." Before Gudao could even answer, Heracles suddenly roared and grabbed him and Olga Marie, ignoring the latter's fearful cries as he followed the other Servants.

"F-fou..." Fou said, shocked. Mashu was speechless. Tsubaki covered her mouth as she tried to push down a laugh, finding the scenario humorous despite the current situation. Suddenly, Tsubaki felt a tug and found herself in the arms of Karna who held her princess styled.

"W-wha-?! Karna?!" Tsubaki questioned, her face turning into pa bright red hue. The Lancer's lips quirked upward slightly before resuming its usual stoic expression.

"Cu Chulainn is correct. Speed will be the upmost importance if you wish to avoid our enemies." Karna answered. "As such, this is the only natural answer." Tsubaki blushed even deeper as he began to move, the white haired man drawing her closer to his body. Mashu, finally snapping from her shock, let out a heavy sigh as she began to follow as well.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, Tsubaki finally freed herself from Karna's grasp once Romani declared that the enemy Servants' signatures had faded. Her cheeks still blushing from what had just happened, Tsubaki turned her attentions towards the other Chaldeans. Ritsuka was angrily throwing various swords at Lancer, given to her complimentary by EMIYA. Gudao and Olga Marie were hugging each other shaking as though they had just gone through a life and death experience. Mashu and Fou were near them, trying to calm the two.

"Er...are they going to be alright?" Tsubaki questioned. Medea shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh. They'll live." The Caster answered. "Though I think Master Gudao and Olga Marie have been traumatized." Roman piped in.

 _"I can only imagine what it must have felt like to be carried like that..."_ The temporary director noted, shivering slightly. Tsubaki rolled her eyes at the doctor before looking towards Caster Cu.

"Is there anything we should know about the Servants you mentioned?" She asked. "Besides that they're doubles of our allies." The blue haired caster whistled before he answered.

"Well, not all of those corrupted Servants are doubles." The man confessed. "The Lancer of his war isn't...well me. I got placed as a Caster so Medea doesn't have a double. Pretty sure Sasaki isn't here either."

"I should hope not." Sasaki scoffed. "I was summoned by Medea as a Fake Servant so if she isn't here than clearly I'm not as well." Tsubaki thought for a moment.

"Cu Chulainn, Medea, and Sasaki..." the red head murmured. "We managed to defeat Medusa's counterpart, so that just leaves EMIYA, Artoria, Heracles, Cursed Arm, and another Lancer to deal with..."

"You do not have to worry about the other Lancer." Karna reassured. "Along with Heracles' and Cursed Arm's corrupted doubles, I have defeated them." Everyone gave the white haired demigod an incredulous look. Even Caster Cu seemed surprised.

"Three Servants...that is no easy feat." The Irish Servant noted before facing the white haired lancer. "Karna, was it? How did you manage to utilize your abilities with such little mana being supplied to you? I know for a fact that these three people can't provide enough for you let alone everyone." The three Chaldean Masters frowned but said nothing. It wasn't like what Caster Cu said was wrong. As of now, the Masters could provide enough to keep their Servants' material existence, but not quite enough to fuel their abilities. This factor is what also made them more weaker. Olga Marie seemed baffled.

"Karna is truly powerful, more so than most Heroic Spirits. Yet, it does not come without a cost—an incredible amount of mana." The Director murmured. "For him to defeat three of the Servants who were surely just as powerful as the corrupt Rider, perhaps even more so, meant he had to utilize all his abilities. But where did all that mana come from...?" Tsubaki felt her bracelet grow hotter as Olga Marie finished, grabbing her wrist. The rose quartz was glittering slightly as though trying to convey something to the redhead.

 _"W-Well, I mean all's well that ends well, right?"_ Roman said with a nervous laugh. _"With Karna's help, we only have two more Servants to worry about. Now, about you guys go rest for a while? Chaldea's still being fixed, but we can send some rations."_

"Oh! You can bring food? I'm starving!" Ritsuka quickly said, ignoring the Irish Lancer who was now buried under a mound of counterfeit swords. "How much can you bring?"

 _"I would have said plenty but it's pretty limited right now because of the damage."_ The doctor answered. _"I know the Servants can replenish their own mana with food but for now we should just feed the Masters and Olga Marie. I'll send some now."_ As Roman began working on sending the rations, Tsubaki decided to confront Karna about the Master situation and brought him someplace where they could speak privately.

"Karna, there's something I want to ask you." The red head said. Karna eyed her attentively as she continued. "You...Are you aware that Gudao and Ritsuka aren't really your Masters?" The Lancer said nothing at first, his stoic expression giving nothing away to the Koizumi. After a few seconds, he finally spoke.

"...Does it matter?" He asked, catching Tsubaki off guard.

"What do you mean 'does it matter'? Of course it does!" She argued. "Not only was your summoning strange, but the fact that I'm your only true Master is even worse. I know for a fact that your consumption of mana is higher than most Servants yet I'm still walking just fine."

"Does it matter though?" Karna repeated again, moving closer to Tsubaki. "As long as I do as I'm told, as long as remain loyal to the Chaldeans and their cause, why should you be concerned about where my source of mana is coming from or that you are my true Master?" Tsubaki bit her lower lip as she was at loss for words. A strange feeling began to well up inside her, filling her heart with uneasiness. Such words sounded like a vow of undying devotion...and deep inside it frightened her.

"Then, if I decide to go against Chaldea, to hurt everyone there, would you follow and help?" She asked quietly. A small smile graced Karna's face as he leaned in closer.

"It seems you have forgotten that I have Discernment of the Poor." He quietly reminded. "As such, I know that you abhor the thought of harming your own friends and comrades." Tsubaki couldn't deny his words. As her mother had taught the red head to always cherish people, even saying the words made Tsubaki feel horrible.

"However..." The Lancer continued, leaning closer to whisper in her ear. "Should these lies become truths in your heart, then I shall carry out my duty with no hesitation." A cold feeling washed over Tsubaki as she pushed herself away from Karna. Looking at his expression, the woman could tell that the Heroic Spirit was serious. He still maintained a smile from earlier, but his eyes had dimmed slightly, an unknown darkness lurking in them. Tsubaki unconsciously fiddled with her bracelet.

"Please, don't say that." She pleaded. "If anything, I want you to help protect Chaldea if it ever comes to that." Just then, Gudao had called out her.

"Hey, the rations are here!" Gudao yelled. Tsubaki took the opportunity to separate from the Lancer and ran over to where the Fujimaru was. For now, until the red head could her feelings straight, it was better if she kept some distance between them.

 _"Feelings of fear and love. Agony and adoration. What do I really feel about this Heroic Spirit I just met?"_ Tsubaki wondered. So absorbed in her own thoughts, she had barely heard a strange yet familiar voice quietly speak to her.

 ** _"Is this really your first meeting? Or, are you choosing to forget?"_**

* * *

Tsubaki and the other Chaldeans took advantage of the time to eat their rations and recuperate. While several of the Servants either guarded and scouted the nearby area, some began friendly conversations with each other. Tsubaki quietly observed them as she ate her ration, but the redhead couldn't help but drift her eyes towards Karna. The Lancer stood alongside of the chattering Servants, leaning against a broken debris with closed eyes. A calm, neutral aura surrounded the Heroic Spirit, much different than how he acted moments ago. Tsubaki fiddled nervously with her bracelet.

 _"He seems alright now. But, what exactly happened before?"_ Tsubaki wondered. _"It was almost as though he was a different person..."_ The Chaldean Master felt her heart wrench as a vague image floated inside her mind. However, it disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving Tsubaki confused. As she wondered what to do, sheer noticed Olga Marie sitting by herself, hugging her legs as she stared at the ground. Truly, she felt bad for the albino. Though she was the director of Chaldea, that didn't mean Olga Marie deserved to be in the middle of all this carnage, especially since her position was forced onto her after the death of the previous director. Quietly, Tsubaki walked over to the director and sat down next to her. Olga Marie, sending Tsubaki's presence, have her a suspicious look.

"What do you want?" She questioned irritately. Tsubaki shrugged nonchalantly.

"Can't I sit here?" The red head asked back. "Besides, you seem like you want to talk to someone." Olga Marie opened her mouth to retort but no words came out. Instead, she looked back down.

"... This shouldn't have happened." The albino said. "Where did things go wrong? The explosion? The error in the summoning system? Or, was it when I took charge of Chaldea after my father's death? Was everything done from the start?" Olga Marie sighed and looked up towards the sky. Tsubaki noticed that she was fiddling with a necklace.

"That necklace, it's quite lovely. Was a gift from your father?" Tsubaki asked. Olga Marie stopped moving.

"...It was from my mother." She answered, dropping her hand. Tsubaki sensed that the director wouldn't say anything more than that so she dropped the subject. Instead, the red head turned her attention towards Mashu and the Servants.

"Do you think Mashu will be able to unlock her Noble Phantasm?" Tsubaki asked. Olga Marie sighed.

"She has to, for all our sakes." The albino replied. "Mashu is, by fault, the strongest Servant as of now. However, it seems that trying to uncover her Noble Phantasm name will be difficult for Mashu." Tsubaki couldn't help but nod. Just then, Tsubaki noticed Gudao and Ritsuka wave her over to them. The woman snuck a glance at Olga Marie night the director was looking down at her feet again, lost in thought. Tsubaki quietly got up and walked over to the other Chaldean Masters.

"Something the matter?" The Koizumi asked. The male Fujimaru rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Sorta...It's about Caster Cu." Gudao said. "He said he can help Mashu with figuring out her Noble Phantasm, but we'll have to fight more of those skeletons. There's still at least two Servants who want to attack us so I was thinking of just me taking Mashu and a few other Servants while the rest of you guys stay here."

"Please tell my cousin how stupid the idea sounds." Ristuka exasperated. "Usually he's the smart one but this plan sounds like bad news! Why can't we all go together?" Tsubaki thought for a moment.

"...Both have flaws in them." The woman said. "Have you guys talked with the Servants yet? Maybe they can offer some valuable insight." Gudao shook his head.

"No, but it's not like everyone is here right now. We all want to help Mashu, but Caster Cu says something's holding her back..." The male Fujimaru explained. "He says too many people wouldn't help with helping Mashu understand her Noble Phantasm." Tsubaki crossed her arms over her chest and thought again. She didn't doubt the Caster version of Cu Chulainn, but it was undoubtedly risky for Gudao to head off by himself with a small number of Servants. Suddenly, her eyes caught onto Karna's who looked in the red head's direction. No words were exchanged between them, yet Tsubaku felt something echo within her mind.

 ** _"Believe in your allies."_**

Tsubaki's bracelet gave up a comfortable warmth as she turned her attention back to her attention back to the other Chaldean Masters.

"Gudao, if you believe in Caster Cu's plans, then I have no more arguments about it." The Koizumi said. "We all want Mashu to understand her newfound powers and I trust that you will help her do so." Gudao smiled and nodded. Ritsuka let out a groan in defeat. Tsubaki gently placed a hand on the female Fujimaru.

"If you have qualms about this, why don't you ask Dr. Roman to watch over Gudao?" She suggested. "If there's any trouble, he can relay it to us." Ritsuka thought for a moment before nodding.

"I guess that works." The woman said before addressing her cousin. "Gudao, at least let me help you gather some things before you go. Who knows if we'll be separated for a long time?" As the Fujimarus excused themselves to prepare for the small excursion, Tsubaki looked back towards Karna who had his eyes closed once more. Truthfully, she had no idea what to make of him yet some were clear to her. Karna was an ally to Chaldea as long as Tsubaki was, a Servant to the three Chaldean Masters until the Koizumi said otherwise. A hidden darkness laid behind his seemingly calm eyes, one in which Tsubaki felt she had seen before. For now, it was alright for Karna to fight alongside the others, but for the future it was unclear whether things would remainn that way.

 _"I have to understand."_ Tsubaki thought worriedly as she gripped her bracelet. _"What is Karna's true purpose with becoming my Servant?"_

 _ **"My Camellia...do you really want to remember?"**_

* * *

 _ **From within the depths of Fuyuki's ruins arises both a new ally and a series of problems. Mashu is unable to release her Noble Phantasm and the flaws in the Fate system have been the Servants much weaker. Uncertainty surrounds Tsubaki about Karna and the strange bond that binds them together. Can she and the others find a way to overcome their problems in time to confront the source of the Singularity? Until Next Time...**_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Fuyuki City Arc: As you can plainly see, several key details were changed. As I want to emphasize more on character interaction and development, many of the fights featured in the game will either be shortened or skipped over. However, all the battles will be mentioned in some way. Regarding this arc, I expect to write perhaps one or two more chapters, with three being the max.**

 **Olga Marie Animusphere: For those who are still relatively new to the game or haven't finished the prologue, I won't spoil what happens to her. To those that are farther ahead however, I intend to delve more into her character and have Olga Marie play a larger role in the story. So far, the director has a necklace that is not canon to the game, but it is important in this story.**

 **Flaws in the Fate System: In the game, there were certain features which were critical in order to progress with the story. Thus, it was visualized here in this story. As stated in the previous author's note, Servants are currently in their weakest form and must be ascended to reach their full capacity. This is the trade off for having more Servants.**

 **Relationships: For the sake of the story, I'm not going to reveal any pairings though it should be obvious to some already what the pairings may end up as. I will be attempting to address popular ships and pairings made by GhostXavier in his work and supported by fans in the original series, but I make no promises that it will end up as such. I've decided to talk about this topic now in case some people were wondering.**

 **Memory Differences: While I haven't fully address this issue, it has been hinted in this chapter already with Cursed Arms statements and Medusa's reaction. That will be expanded upon in later chapters.**

 **More notes will be written later but that's it for now.**

 **Until Next Time! R &R!**


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